National Football League

Aaron Rodgers bringing unabashed confidence to long-downtrodden Jets

Published Jun. 22, 2023 10:51 a.m. ET

New York Jets coach Robert Saleh said the word "championship" eight times during his press conference on June 6 during organized team activities.

Eight times!

The reason is obvious: Aaron Rodgers.

Not only did the quarterback's arrival inspire a tremendous amount of momentum for the team's Super Bowl chances, but since his arrival, Rodgers has continually referenced the team's championship aspirations as priority No. 1.

Why? Well, he calls it "manifesting," a psychological theory that, by believing something will come true, it helps a person achieve a goal. (Now, if you want to figure out if manifesting actually works, you'll have a hard time proving that scientifically.)

There's no doubt that Rodgers' unabashed confidence can fatigue …. well, everyone. He can be grating upon an NFL fan base and the media. But Rodgers' unapologetic nature is strangely perfect for a Jets franchise that has been the butt(fumble) of NFL jokes. "The Jets are gonna Jets. Right?"

Maybe things are changing.

Saleh fielded a question about the championship chatter — and whether Rodgers' arrival has encouraged more open discussion about winning a Super Bowl.

"The reality is, yeah, we all want to win a world championship," Saleh said during his championship-themed press conference earlier this month. "He's one of those guys that has that discipline. He understands that, ‘Yes, this is what I want, but this is what I need to do today.' If you have that and you can keep that in perspective, I think you're fine being able to drift off every once in a while."

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Is there any fear around championship expectations?

"Everybody goes into camp believing that they're one of those teams that can win a championship," Saleh said. "That is a true inner belief no matter what's said, no matter what the power rankings say, one to 32, all of them think that they're capable of winning a championship. But what are you doing today? That's all that really matters."

The Buffalo Bills spent last year's training camp making it clear they wouldn't settle for anything but a Super Bowl win. They lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. And they have since faced severe criticism for struggling to live up to the expectations they set for themselves. They also had to handle a spat with receiver Stefon Diggs, who, according to his trainer, felt their loss in the postseason was a step back for the organization and, in turn, needed to be coaxed back onto the practice field after what seemed like a war of words with the coaching staff.

Diggs and the Bills made it clear they wouldn't settle for anything less than a championship last season — and they had to. It took its toll. Expectations ratchet up the tension and pressure.

The New England Patriots, meanwhile, clearly set Super Bowl expectations for every season, but they would never ever discuss those expectations with members of the media.

Different strokes for different folks. For Rodgers and Saleh, they are happy to talk about it.

Now, the naysayers and the haters — and, frankly, even someone unbiased like myself — can't help but wonder whether this will backfire. The Jets, after all, have been historically proven to Jet. The Jets have managed to mess up every good (and bad) situation since Joe Namath. So it's hard to really buy into these lofty goals for the 2023 season.

Will Jets live up to the Aaron Rodgers hype?

But that's the thing: It doesn't matter if we buy in. It matters if the Jets buy in.

And Jets players and coaches are obsessed with Rodgers, who is a sight for sore eyes after a season of abject disaster on offense under Zach Wilson.

"It's a different vibe," linebacker C.J. Mosley said during OTAs. "He sets the bar. He sets the expectations with his résumé, with his name and the way he approaches the game every day. It's not every day you get to go against a future Hall of Fame quarterback. As a defense, we're honored to be in this situation."

Rodgers might be throwing in shorts and a T-shirt, but he's getting a lot of love from Saleh, who was asked if he's had any "whoa" moments since Rodgers has joined the team.

"I think there was another one that they threw out there where he threw it to CJ Uzomah," Saleh said. "It was a dirty throw. He's just got tremendous vision. He can see it all. … There's been some wild moments. I'm sure there's going to be a heck of a lot more."

More than a few players are feeling the glow.

"I ain't gonna lie to you, I was kind of star-struck at first," linebacker Quincy Williams said. "We warm up right next to each other so I was just like: ‘Hold on, Coach. Let me take a few minutes to take this in, watch a few throws, seeing him in the green.’"

There might be one player who stands to gain the most: receiver Garrett Wilson, who might just be on the verge of establishing himself as one of the NFL's elite receivers in 2023. He demonstrated clear frustration with Zach Wilson last year. But Garrett Wilson is all aboard the Rodgers hype train.

"This is something 20 years from now, 30 years, I'll tell my kid: ‘I played with Aaron Rodgers,’" Wilson said.

It's Hope SZN. And just like Saleh mentioned, every team thinks it can win the Super Bowl. Most fan bases think their team can win it all.

For the Jets, this is the year when they're not delusional. They have a legitimate shot at making a title run. And that's not because Rodgers is manifesting it. It's because he's there playing football. And he's still one of the best quarterbacks in the world.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.

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